Out of interest does anyone know the comparisons between a vRS and an Alfa 1.9 JTD.

They look very similar on paper, apart from Alfa list price being far higher, although I imagine good discounts are available.

Cheers

Well the Alfa 1.9 JTD comes in 115 BHP and 150 BHP.. the VRS is surely better than the 115 HP version due to the weight differece.. but the Alfa 147 looks alot better and handles very well.. and the interior is really good quality and great looks.. torque is 305 Nm at 2000 rpm in the 150 BHP version.. the Alfa 147 feels really great to be in.. it feels like a very sporty car and the drivin position is great.. very comfortable car

Alfas are also one of the few front wheel drive cars that can actually put there power down onto the road rather than just rely on traction control to keep the wheelspin to a minimum like Skoda seem to.

Very nice car BUT......Its owned by Fiat!! The dealer network is crap, the cars plummet in value and the reliability is suspect too. A good second hand 150 hp 156 would be very nice but I would get it serviced outside the dealer network

Alfas are also one of the few front wheel drive cars that can actually put there power down onto the road rather than just rely on traction control to keep the wheelspin to a minimum like Skoda seem to.

Like the 147 GTA?? :rofl:

the 147 is apparently durable as is the Alfa GT which is claimed to have similar reliability to it's German counterparts. The quality has improved a lot as Fiat have put lots of money into Alfa, also GM no longer owns Fiat as they bought themselves out of the contract for near £1 billion.

I love Alfas,just never heard a good story yet though:(

Is that JTD Fiats engine or Alfa R?

Reliability of the new alfa romeo models is very good... i know some mates who own alfas that never gone wrong... Quality is improved in an impressive way in the new models like the facelifted 147, 156, 166 etc.. and yet the new range is made with quality thats said to be better than the germans.. I love the new Brera and 159.. new alfa 149 is coming very soon so if your plannin to get a 147 save it now coz the 149 is coming very soon and its gonna look like the concept car 8C...

New Brera Interior.... srry for goin off the JTD thing but i cant help it

JTD is an excellent engine, Multijet technology which is apparently a class leading diesel engine, not read much about it though I must admit so I can't give any technical info.

Yup i read somewhere that its the most powerful engine in its class

Also going offf the JTD thing...beautiful steering wheels too.

Brera convertible looks stunning too.

Fairly recent (~4 years ago) Alfas owned by friends have still been rubbish as far as reliability and expensive breakdowns are concerned. I'd wait for a few years more before buying one!

I had always thought about Alfas, and even went as far as getting some prices for the new 147 before buying the Octy.

I was surprised that although they still have a bad reputation for reliability etc, that the 147 is still holding it's price very well. I know i couldn't get a 115JTD one or two years old for anywhere near the price i paid for the Octy.

JD

Like the 147 GTA?? :rofl:

Yes!

147 GTA puts it's power down very well, you have to keep in mind that it's a 3.2 V6 with 24 valves, 4 camshafts and variable valve timing though!

Imagine how badly a Skoda would perform with that kind of power, Our Octy SDi's cant keep wheelspin at bay without electronic interference, and my Superb 130pd is a joke at times!

Alfa (or fiat) have invested so much money in recent years as they are desparate to rid themselves of the image that was created during the late 70's and early 80's that the cars are now very good quality and very reliable, they must be really as i'm considering a 159 as my next taxi, Alfa are also the only manufacturer who supply a turbo boost guage in the diesels!!

have got a fiat 1.9 multijet in my punto- 100hp more than enough in a mk2b seems quicker than dad's 1.9tdi 130 superb but around the same as his old 1.8T( which I wrote off :()- apparently is similar 0-60 wise as fabia vrs due to mine only weighing 1075 kilos

Quick compare Grande Punto Sporting 1.9 Multijet against the vRS

Power

Both 130bhp

Torque

Skoda 229lb ft @ 1900rpm Punto 207lb ft @ 2000rpm

0-60 mph

Skoda 9.6 seconds Punto 9.5 seconds

Max Speed

Skoda 126mph Punto 124mph

Town mpg

Skoda 42.2 Punto 36.2

Out of Town mpg

Skoda 67.3 Punto 60.1

Average mpg

Skoda 55.4 Punto 48.7

More torque and better fuel consumption for the vRS. Thought these Multijet engines were better?!

In all fairness the new punto is fat as hell, but must admit was expecting better of the 1.9 multijet engine- the truly great multijet engine is the 1.3 as it is very light etc etc and develops up to 90hp in standard output- the 1.9 multijet is merely an update of the old jtd engine as far as i am aware- i have an 8v 1.9 multijet where the grande has 16v

my old punto mk2b does 9.5 according to fiat with 100hp :P

Yes!

147 GTA puts it's power down very well' date=' you have to keep in mind that it's a 3.2 V6 with 24 valves, 4 camshafts and variable valve timing though!

Imagine how badly a Skoda would perform with that kind of power, Our Octy SDi's cant keep wheelspin at bay without electronic interference, and my Superb 130pd is a joke at times!

Alfa (or fiat) have invested so much money in recent years as they are desparate to rid themselves of the image that was created during the late 70's and early 80's that the cars are now very good quality and very reliable, they must be really as i'm considering a 159 as my next taxi, Alfa are also the only manufacturer who supply a turbo boost guage in the diesels!![/quote']

Well said mate.. and a great choice too.. the new 159 is ecxcellent and its won every test it went through.. As for the Alfa romeo Dealer network.. They're working on improving that as well.. alfa romeo is really tryin hard to go back to the old days when they used be nuthing but race winners.. They're also going back to the US market very soon.. the future engine will have new technologies and that will be on the brera, 159 and 149

Diesel top 3 engines

1. Fiat Auto 1.9JTDm 175hp/360nm 92hp/lt & 190nm/lt

2. BMW "35d" 3.0lt TwinTurbo 272hp/560nm 91hp/lt 187nm/lt

3. Renault 2.0 DCi 175hp/360nm 88hp/lt 180nm/lt

As for the future diesel engines by Alfa

2.4JTDm 220/225hp Spring of 2007

3.0JTDm Autumn of 2007

Fabia anyday for me.

Regardless of which is the better car (fabia imo) I couldn't bear thinking about the ridiculous depreciation of the alfa.

Fabia anyday for me.

Regardless of which is the better car (fabia imo) I couldn't bear thinking about the ridiculous depreciation of the alfa.

You obviously haven't been and asked your Skoda dealer what yours is worth as a trade in then!!

My mate had a 147 before he upgraded to a 1.9Tdi Audi A3.The cabin in the 147 is fantastic ,its like a mix between a limo and a fighters cockpit. All the controls and dials are angled towards the driver. Great place to sit and drive, however it did tend to fall apart slowly.However the newever generation Alfa`s are supposed to be better built, famous last words!

You obviously haven't been and asked your Skoda dealer what yours is worth as a trade in then!!

still probably more than a year old alfa.

I doubt it, and the Alfa doesnt look like an egg box with wheels.

In the past, I never understood the whole Alfa thing that Clarkson et al preached about. That was until a member of the HPC took me out in his "crappy" old 150bhp FWD Alfa. I've read excellent reviews of the JTD lump so I'll have to swing by my local dealer and sort out a test drive

Chris

I doubt it, and the Alfa doesnt look like an egg box with wheels.

Trust me a year old alfa doesnt depreciate so much.. i think that Skodas Depreciate just as bad as alfas... Alfas are one of the best FWD cars and if you test drive a new GT you'll know wut i mean.. its an amazing car to drive and doesnt feel like FWD even it has got 240 BHP at the front wheels